News &amp; Features - November 2009

City of Loveland parks specialist Andrew Fierros uses a mini excavator to dig in a trench at Fairgrounds Park on Thursday while he and parks worker Kevin Ferguson, back, prepare the area for a compaction test prior to installing new electircal cables and transformers.

Saddle bronc rider Eddie Schmidt holds a trophy belt buckle from one of his three Championships. Schmidt knows his body can only hold out for another year or two but the 55 year old is proud of his accomplishments.

Three time senior champion saddle bronc rider Eddie Schmidt works out in his Loveland home with his Jack Russell terrier Edie on Monday. The 55 year old works out five times a week and mountain bikes to stay in shape for his sport. "I love it. It's what I do" says Schmidt. "Every day you make a good ride, you're the hero for that day. The next day you're a nobody."

Outgoing Board of Education members Bill McCreary, left, and Marcia Venzke talk with a crowd of well-wishers at the Thompson School District building at 800 South Taft Avenue on Wednesday evening.

Matt Egan of Loveland fishes for shad at the Lake Loveland inlet on Monday.

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Third graders in Leslie Hyland's classroom at Big Thompson Elementary School raise their hands to answer a question while going over the requirements for a writing assignment to make an "I'm Thankful" booklet during class on Monday.

Mayor Cecil Gutierrez, right, thanks outgoing Mayor Gene Pielin, left, and outgoing City Councilors Dave Clark, second from left, and Glenn Rousey after a swearing in ceremony in the City Council Chambers on Tuesday night. Outgoing City Council member Walt Skowron was not at the event.

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Big Thompson Elementary School third grader Caleb Johnson, 8, works on a vocabulary assignment Monday at school.

Members of Loveland Fire and Rescue and paramedics with Thompson Valley EMS work to free a woman after the car she was in plunged down the bank of the Big Thompson river on Monday evening near mile marker 79 on US 34. The woman and another person were in the car when it slid off the road and rolled to where it rested near the river. Emergency crews rushed to the scene after receiving a call after 3 p.m. According to crews on scene, the two were not in serious condition but were taken by ambulance to the hospital. Traffic was stopped in both directions while the crews worked to free the woman.

Jeremiah Mattson, 8, of Loveland launches off of a jump on the sledding hill at First Street Southwest and Tyler Avenue on Sunday.

Torsten Eckstein announces his candidacy for State Senate on Sunday at Conrad Ball Middle School. Eckstein, a native of East Berlin during the height of Communism, felt drawn to the United States as a land of opportunity.

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Twelve-year-old Landon Rankin rears back to throw a pass Saturday while playing football with friends near the endzone at Patterson Stadium as the snow begins to fall. Rankin and the other boys were taking a break from watching Mountain View High School’s football playoff game against Pueblo Centennial which the Mountain Lions won, 40-7.

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Drew Kline, 11, left, Makenzie Fancher, 11, and Cassidy Fancher, 8, try on snow gear during the Ski and Sports Swap on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009 in the main gymnasium at the Chilson Recreation Center.

Jasmine Mint Bath Tea is one of the homemade items Linda Sullivan makes.

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Loveland resident Linda Sullivan packages some Jasmine Mint Bath Tea into a tiny canvas bag while demonstrating how to make various homemade gifts in her kitchen on Thursday.

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Loveland High School football fans cheer on the team during their Class 4A first-round playoff game against Fountain-Fort Carson on Friday, Nov. 13, 2009 at Patterson Field. The Indians won, 28-21, and will face Monarch in next week's game.

Nick Armstrong, left, talks with Kixie Daly, left, of Dixie Home Services and Lori Gama of DaGama Web Studio during a meeting about social media and business at the Best Western on Thursday.

John Metcalf of JM Designs talks with people gathered Thursday night at the Best Western for a meeting of business people interested in using social networking to increase business.

Julie Skeffington, left, and her daughter and newly crowned Miss Loveland Valentine, Hillary, walk back to the car after the judging at the former Hewlett-Packard building on Thursday.

Hillary Skeffington, 17, right, reacts after being chosen Miss Loveland Valentine on Thursday at the former location of Hewlett-Packard at Southeast Third Street and South Jefferson Avenue.

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Rocky Padden hangs a 100-percent cotton robe on Friday in her new store called Body Shop, 133 E. Fourth St. in downtown Loveland in preparation for the store's grand opening on Friday. The store will carry items like bamboo and 100-percent cotton robes, towels and linens and also a variety of soaps, shampoos, lotions and theraputic skin creams.

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A shelf near the front window at Body Shop, 133 E. Fourth St. displays some of the items that will be available to purchase including soaps, incense, wash cloths and artwork.